Making ECHINACEA tincture

​Excellent for boosting the immune system and had been proved to shorten the duration of colds and flus. I collect Echinacea all summer from the gardens of friends and family and hang dry them until I am ready to grind up to turn into tincture in the Autumn. I have found smaller flowers are easier to work with. You can also use the root but that entails digging up the flower. 

I first learned how to make my own tincture from a class at the library with Jen from My Healthy Homemade Life.

---

1/2 c (40g) dried echinacea root
1/2 c (40g) dried whole echinacea flowers or leaves 
1 1/2 c (360ml) neutral spirits such as vodka or apple cider vinegar

Instructions
You can find already dried and ground roots and flowers in the bulk section of your local health food store or online.

If you are using your own dried plants once the plant is fully dried I remove the flower tops and leaves from the stem. I then use scissors and cut up the stems into smaller pieces. Using a coffee grinder I add flower, leaves, and a few stems and grind up into small bits and pieces. It may take a few times to get the hang of the right ratio of stems to flowers/leaves in order to get a fine grind. Much like the magic ration of liquid to solids in a blender!

Combine the echinacea root, flowers and spirits in a pint size jar (canning jars work great!) Cover the jar with a lid and shake well to mix. Put jar in a cool and dark place to infuse for 4-6 weeks shaking jar occasionally to mix up the tincture. When ready to use, strain out the herbs using a fine-mesh sieve. Store tincture in small bottles with droppers for easy use. 

Take 1 teaspoon 2-3 times per day at the first sign of a cold or flu for the most benefit.